History of the mine

The beginning of the mine “Nachod” cannot be determined, but the leased territory was granted to four citizens of Siegen on May 29th, 1867. In July 1867, a union of 19 people was registered in the cadastral register that held 100 shares of this mine (in mining these shares were called ‘Kuxen’). Between 1867 and 1875 production was sporadic: one miner only drilled a winze and drifted a gallery to explore the deposit at the discovery spot. The marks found at the clearing-out prove that no considerable mining took place and the mine made no profit for the owners. The ore lodes that were cut across were only a few centimetres big.

Exploring the gallery:

The gallery was drifted by gun powder blasting with the help of hand drilled holes and by hammer and pick as well. A special wooden wheelbarrow was used for mining; you can still see it in the gallery today. A special oil lamp called ‘frog’ was used for illumination.

Reconstruction of the entrance:

The gallery mouth is made in German frame construction. The dry wall on the side prevents the entrance from being buried.